'Nine Perfect Strangers' Was Filmed in a More Relaxing Setting Than Is Depicted
Published Aug. 18 2021, 4:11 p.m. ET
The new Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers is based on Liane Moriarty's novel of the same name, and it almost makes audiences want to take a wellness retreat of their own. Almost. The eerie setting of the show promises "total transformation" of its nine attendees after 10 days, but thankfully, the retreat's real-life counterpart isn't so mysterious. Where was Nine Perfect Strangers filmed? Here's the scoop.
So, where was 'Nine Perfect Strangers' filmed?
The first episode of the show claims that the mystery resort is located in Cabrillo, Calif., but the actual filming location was a far cry from the United States. Producer Bruna Papandrea revealed to Financial Review that the show was set to film in Los Angeles in March 2020, but the coronavirus shut down Hollywood.
Then, the production team decided to move filming to Australia. (At the time, Australia had low infection rates.) In Australia, film and TV are classified as an "essential service," so they could move forward with the production. Bruna, author Liane Moriarty, and star Nicole Kidman are all Australian, so it seemed like kismet when the production moved.
The actors wore masks for all 18 weeks of filming, had their temperature checked daily, and were tested for the virus three times a week to maintain safety precautions.
The exact filming location used for Tranquillum House is located in Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia, at a real-life wellness retreat called Soma. Fans of the show are more than welcome to visit Soma, so long as they're willing to pay the $2,500 to $4,500 per person price. The majority of inside shots and the central pool featured are all of Soma, but set designer Colin Gibson realized they needed more outdoor space.
Thankfully, the former dairy-farm-turned-architectural-sustainability-project Lune de Sang was perfect for more outdoors shots needed to complete Nine Perfect Strangers' imposing setting. Sydney-based firm Chrofi is responsible for many of the pieces seen in the show, including the communal buildings known as the Pavilion. Some of the patients' room scenes were also filmed at Lune de Sang, in addition to Marsha (Nicole Kidman)'s private pool scenes.
Nicole herself confirmed the news that Nine Perfect Strangers was filmed in Australia in an announcement regarding the distribution deal for the show by Amazon Prime in the U.K.
Nicole told Cosmopolitan, "I’m so proud of what we were able to pull together this past year, bringing Nine Perfect Strangers filming to Australia during the global COVID-19 pandemic. Partnering with Melissa McCarthy, working with David Kelley, Liane Moriarty, and my producing cohorts again, joining forces with Hulu in the USA and now this, a global distribution deal with my home studio of Amazon. The stars have aligned and I am thrilled!"
No matter where you are in the world, you can now sit back, try to relax, and watch Nine Perfect Strangers unfold on screens or televisions near you. The miniseries premiered on Aug. 18, 2021, and new episodes will be released every Wednesday on Hulu.
